Tom Riddle Again?
by PadfootRidesAgain
Summary: Somehow Harry ends up in 1935. Join Harry as he fights Grindewald, Battles Tom Riddle and spars Dumbledore. All the while becomoing an unspeakable at the Dom. Oh yea and has to avoid his familly too!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: **Harry's Temper Tantrum

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

It was a normal day for the shoppers in Diagon Alley, everything so far had been fine. People hustled about reading about the war with Grindewald, and the efforts of the various foreign ministries that were attempting to put up a fight, while others just ignored the signs of coming war and did their everyday shopping.

People were browsing through Flourish and Blotts looking for new books that had come out, others were entering Madame Malkins for All Occasions buying new robes, getting measured, some were just looking around with a few friends.

One man in particular had been standing still looking at a newspaper for a long time. To be precise, the man was staring at the date.

_June 22, 1935_

The peace was shattered suddenly as the man threw down the newspaper, magic coalesced around him as his rage built up.

"**WHY! WHY! WHY ME! WHY!"**

The shouting drew strange looks and people carefully backed away, forming a ragged circle of watchers around him. He didn't seem to notice. With a wave of his hand the man was surrounded by hundreds of objects, which he proceeded to destroy in an amazing display of magical power and skill. The circle was now backing away, giving this man more room to apparently blow off some steam.

After ten minutes of continuous blowing shit up, the man let out a final terrible scream and there was a flash of light followed by a massive explosion. Everyone in the vicinty screamed as the sound of shattering glass and concrete breaking filled the air. Seconds later, there were dozens of loud cracks as the Aurors were finally alerted and showed up.

John Charles Potter, Captain of the Aurors looked around in shock. The noise had stopped thank Merlin, and the dust was starting to clear. Who ever did this, if he wasn't a criminal, was going to owe several biliion galleons to pay for the damages. Wand drawn, he looked carefully at the man as his features slowly started show.

Black messy hair, green eyes and tall.

Those were the features that stood out the most, aside from a scar he could just barely see under the man's bangs. Slowly he walked towards him, for he had seemed to calm down and was looking around with a guilty look on his face.

Harry looked around suddenly remembering that he was in Diagon Alley and that the public had been witness to the small tantrum he just had. He noticed a group of fifteen aurors were surrounding him, the Captain walking towards him carefully.

"Oh Shit."

As the man noticed him, John tensed slightly, his wand coming up to point directly, before picking up his pace.

"I'm Captain John Potter." He said briskly, "What's your name?"

Harry blanched as he realized that he couldn't use his own name as he was talking to his grandfather or whatever. Thinking quickly he came up with his mothers name.

"Harry Evans." He said, pausing for a bit he continued. "Uh, sorry about all this I can fix it up real easy watch." With a few waves of his hand, the entire Alley shimmered, when it stablilized the place was back to normal.

Everyone gawked.

Well everyone besides for John, he was after all the Captain of the Auror's and Captains don't gawk. It didn't matter to him that he was bug-eyed, he was _not_ going to gawk. He clenched his teeth furiously.

When the shock wore off, he turned to Evans abrubtly. "How did you do that?"

Harry looked around, "Ah well you see, I possess a limited amount of control over time, essentialy I just went back a few minutes, copied the scenario and brought it here."

John gawked.

He couldn't help it. Having power over time was not unheard of for him, as he was a Potter, however for someone else to have power over time... Even with the Potters, the most control anyone ever had was to freeze time, or to create a time dilation field. For someone to be able to go back a few minutes, and bring it _forward_! All with a few waves of a hand and almost no mental focus!

For his family, stopping time was done with complex wand movements and intense concentration. Setting up a time dilation field was even worse, _that's_ what he called limited, not what Evans had done. No what Evans had done he called major control. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered what Evans considered major.

John was brought back by Evans next words.

"Now, I can't have you all knowing how powerfull I am so..."

John slammed his occlumency sheilds up as fast as he could, and set them to max power just as Harry Evans waved his hand around.

People blinked for a second as their memories were erased, the aurors disappeared and reappeared doing whatever they were doing before they were sent out and Harry Potter, known in this time as Harry Evans was gone.

In his office sitting in his desk, Captain John Potter blinked as he was somehow brought to his office from Diagon Alley. Sitting back in his chair, he resolved to keep a look out for Harry Evans. Something didn't ring right with him, there was no one who had control over time besides for the Potter's. He couldn't go up against Evans outright because he was too powerfull he would have to be content with watching.

**A\N:** I've been wanting to write something like this for awhile, however I'm going to ask your opinion –for once- do you think I should continue this story? Please let me know with a simple yes or no, nothing confusing or vauge; one Dumbledore is enough :). Any suggestion's on who Harry should meet in this timeline will be taken into account. Let me know what you think. Pairings included!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:** The Dillema

_ss:Parsletounge:ss_

Harry frowned as he looked around the Shrieking Shack. While the rumors of it being haunted had not yet been started, as Remus wouldn't attend Hogwarts for a while yet, the place still had the rundown look it had in the future. There was no way he could live here, he would have to see about building a house in Hogsmede, then he could find out how he got here.

It wasn't as if he was too upset about being in the past. No not at all, in fact he was actually happy that he was here. In the future, the war was over; Voldemort having been decimated when Harry came into his legacy and had easily surpassed the Dark Lords power. The only thing the Dark Lord had held over Harry was knowledge, and that was only until Harry had ripped open the connection they had shared and had literally mind-raped him for all his knowledge. When he was done, it was a simple matter to close the connection permanently by destroying the Horcrux within him, again absorbing the knowledge and power that the piece of Voldemort's sould had had. While he didn't really need the knowledge of the Horcrux, he figured there were a few things Voldemort would have forgotten from the time when he attacked Harry in 1981 and then, just like there were some new things he had learned.

After that, it had been a simple matter of tracking down all of the Horcruxes and easily destroying them. When he was done, the Wizarding World was already a mess.

Voldemort had realized what Harry had done and moved quickly to consolidate his power. The goblins had made their choice and joined Voldemort forcing Harry to withdraw all his possesions from all his vaults and keep them on himself at all times. With a custom made trunk that had seven compartments and was charmed to be an earing, it was not hard.

The Ministry of Magic had quickly fallen and Voldemort had then moved on to Hogwarts, which quickly fell as well, the Slytherins fighting the teachers on the inside and allowing the Death Eaters and their Master into the school. The final battle had been Harry's attempt to retake Hogwarts; one that had worked.

By the final battle, Harry had had to fight through every single goblin before he was able to reach Voldemort. Not a single one had been left alive.

None of his friends had made it either.

He had left Britain and hoped that he would be able to find peace and quiet living as a hermit, but apparently, Fate had other plans for him. Which brought him to the reason as to why he was so pissed. Why him. Why couldn't Fate just leave him alone to live his life out as a hermit, he was perfectly happy where he was. But then again, once he got over that small detail, he wasn't exactly upset that he was in the past, for there was nothing in the future for him.

Then it hit him.

The year was 1935. Voldemort, or Tom Riddle would be five years old. He could easily go and kill him, hell Riddle didn't even know he was a wizard yet! Killing him would save the future, his friends would be okay later on. Hogwarts would never have to see that war that had soaked its grounds in blood.

Thoughts of getting a new house forgotten, Harry quickly disappeared and reappeared silently in front of an old orphanage. With a thought, he was invisible. Quickly walking up the front path, he gently touched his hand to the front door, before he melted into it and came out the other end still invisible. It was a cool trick he had learned from Voldemort, but unlike Voldemort he didn't need a wand to do it.

Hearing the laughter of children, he quickly walked towards the noise, going through an open back door and out into an amazing garden. Looking around he saw a group of kids, maybe ten year olds, surrounding someone. Their body posture and tone of voice reminded him strongly of Dudley and his gang.

"Hey freak, you want to see what happens to your friends?" one of them said harshly. The others laughed as Harry felt his anger rise.

A thin bedraggled boy was in the middle of the group on his knees. His hands were held out in front of him cupped together. Inside them was a small green garden snake, he appeared to have been talking to it when the gang of ten year olds had showed up. Now the boy, who Harry realised was Tom, quickly hissed at the snake making sure no one noticed. Harry heard, _ss:Quick Ssalvador! Run for your life!:ss _The snake it seemed, stubbornly refused.

_ss:I'll stay with you Tom, your my first friend. If they try to hurt you, I'll bite them!:ss_

Harry watched as Tom tried to hold back tears and barely succeeded before he put down the snake and glared at the ten year olds. They just laughed mockingly. "Whats the matter Tommy, can't find any real friends so you have to get chummy with a snake?" one asked before once more breaking down into laughter.

"Hey," said another a grin still on his face, "I wonder why he can't find any friends."

"Don't you remember Derek?" asked another before grinning wider, "That one redhead boy, what'd we do give him a black eye?" the others just cracked up again. Harry was getting more and more pissed.

"Nah, that was the four eyes kid, the redhead was the one whose nose we broke." More laughter followed, until suddenly it seemed Tom had enough. With a cry of rage he kicked the one directly in front of him, Derek it seemed, hard. In the balls.

Derek's breath hitched while everyone else was suddenly quiet. The laughter was gone, and in its place were glares. "You little shit!" he wheezed as his hands gently cupped his crotch, "Get him!" he snarled at the others.

Harry decided he watched enough and moved quickly to stop, he was too late as he heard multiple crunches of bones breaking as the kids all jumped on Tom. Silently, Harry made himself visible. Not even bothering to say anything, Harry picked up two of the guys and threw them across the garden, thirty seconds later, the group was now sprawled all over each other on the other side and Harry was leaning over Tom casting multiple detection spells to find out how badly he was injured.

Tom was shocked when the beatings stopped, and cautiously opened his eyes. What he saw didn't reassure him.

"Please." He begged desperately, "Don't do anything. Please go away! It hurts." As the tall scary man bent even closer to him, his pleas became more and more desperate. Harry's heart lurched and for the first time he felt something other than hate for his parents murderer. For the first time Harry Potter forgave Dumbledore for what he did realizing what he had to face, feeling the feeling Dumbledore must have felt.

"It's okay," he said soothingly, "I'm not going to hurt you. Let me help." Tom's pleas stuttered to halt as he registered what the man said. Carefully Harry brought his hand down and ran it over Tom's torso, letting his magic pulse from his hand to rearrange the broken ribs and mend them as well as his other extensive injuries. At the same time, he entered Tom's mind and temporarily disconnected the pain sensors so that Tom wouldn't feel it anymore.

Tom's breathing calmed as his mind cleared and the pain faded away. He made to get up by Harry held him down. "Hey kiddo, relax your not fully healed give it a minute. Tell me what's your name?" Tom struggled for a second against Harry's hand before he had to admit he was exhausted. He leaned back with a sigh as he answered the question. "Tom Riddle." He said softly. After a pause he continued, "You shouldn't have done that." He said faintly.

Harry's lip quirked in amusement, "Oh?" he said clearly waiting for some elaboration. Tom was eager to assist. "They'll do worse next time, now that they were interrupted the first." Harry frowned at him and Tom flinched, Harry quickly wiped his face to the blank mask it usually was.

"Why don't you tell anyone?" he asked already suspecting the answer. "Mr. S encourages them, when I try to tell he does worse with a belt."

"Mr. S?" Harry asked, weirdly enough Tom giggled slightly, "His name is actually Mr. Snotsworth but he told us that whoever called him that will get a beating.

Harry was quiet as he contemplated what he should do. The obvious decision would be to adopt Tom and take him away, and part of him wanted to that right now. The other part reminded him of the conversation he had with Dumbledore, right before Dumbledore died. Dumbledore had been on his deathbed, at death's door when he had called for Harry. It was there that Dumbledore had revealed his greatest secret.

_**FLASHBACK!!**_

"_Harry, can you ever forgive me?" Dumbledore asked, tears streaming down his face. Despite the fact that Dumbledore was dying, his voice and mind were as strong as ever. Only his magic and body was suffering from the curse that he had been hit with while dealing with the ring horcruxe._

_Harry was confused. "Albus, for what? I forgave you for sending me to the Dursleys, I understand why you did it. I also forgave you for hiding my heritage from me. What else is there."_

_With tears pouring down his face Dumbledore gave his story._

"_Gellert Grindelwald and I had grown up together Harry. Together we learned the wonders of magics. We both learned as much as we could delving deep into both the Dark Arts and the Light Arts. Knowledge was power and Grindelwald wanted as much of it as he could get. For me, my curiosity was enough to drive me after the knowledge. The two of us were inseperable, powerful as we were we felt like the top of the world._

_It was only later on that I realised what he was becoming, what I was becoming, I stopped just barely in time to save myself. Gellert's thirst for power drove him onwards, and so the two of us separated. Unfourtanately, by that time my sister had paid the price for my foolishness._

_The years passed and I became the Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts, the death of my sister having curbed my curiosity for the time being. When the rumors of the Dark Lord Grindelwald started I was terrified, I knew in my heart that no one would be able to face him, especially if he had continued learning at the same rate when we were togther, but still I refused to acknowledge that fact to myself. I kept reassuring myself that the Ministry would take care of him, that with enough Aurors, they would be able to defeat him, but as you know it never happened._

_When I finally gathered the courage to face my childhood friend, it was already many years later. After, I cried myself to sleep for months. I vowed to myself never again would I be able to do that, never again _would_ I do that. By then Tom Riddle was in school and I knew that I would have to keep a close watch on him. Sadly that backfired on me._

_When Tom Riddle became Lord Voldemort I was terrified, terrified that I would once again have to kill someone who I still saw as a child, Tom Riddle. I couldn't and I knew that. The only way I was able to raise my wand against Tom was for self-defense, never was I able to start the first attack and never was I able to even think about doing anything more than driving him away._

_That is why I was the only one He ever feared. He knew that I was only holding back because of the image of what I held of him, and he was scared that if he pushed me hard enough, I would crack and then kill him. For years I convinced myself that he wasn't as bad as Grindelwald, nor as powerful. That I didn't need to do anything because the Aurors could handle it. I cried myself to sleep many times then too, other days I would just sit there and fight with myself for hours on end._

_Then I heard the prophecy. When Severus Snape was caught listening in, it was like a door had opened in my mind. When Snape came to me later begging for redemption, I was pleasantly surprised to be able to gain a spy, and implemented my plan. I discussed with Sirius how the muggles like using traps, who went __immediately to your parents to change Secret Keepers. The night your parents died after dropping you off at the Dursleys I created a clone and had him hold me under the Cruciatus Curse the entire night._

_For the next eleven years, I suffered alongside you. Never did I get a night's sleep spending it instead writhering under the pain curse, and the only meal I ate was lunch. I knew that I couldn't keep my sanity for much longer so I made a variation of Lemon Drops mixed with a solution that allowed me retain my sanity as long as I always had at least once a day._

_By the time you got to Hogwarts it was to the point where I needed one every hour. Yet I was happy. Happy that you were able to make it through hell and back alive and sane. I knew that your training had just begun. I created a fake copy of the stone and had it placed in Gringotts, ready for when Hagrid went to pick you up, he would pick up the stone as well to bring it Hogwarts._

_To my surprise, I was extremely lucky that I managed to get to it right before Voldemort did. The goblins wanted to keep quiet the fact that Voldemort was able to break in and get away, but I went to Skeeter anyway and left the first clue for you. The year continued as I watched you solve the clues that I dropped and face Voldemort in the forest._

_I watched as you and your two friends manipulated your way around the puzzles and you faced off Voldemort. Year one had been in my opinion a success. The summer continued as I wondered how exactly I would further be able to forge the blade that was to cut off Voldemort's head. Lucius Malfoy's plan was I thought a god-send._

_The year continued much like the previous year, and when Summer came along I again wondered how to continue this unique training routine that I was putting you through. I arranged for the Weasleys to win the lottery, and made sure that they got Scabbers in the photo. When the article was in the Prophet, I arranged for Fudge to visit Azkaban with that paper in hand. Like clockwork, Sirius Black escaped and so the training continued._

_Chasing after obscure clues and useing whatever resources –however limited- you had you were able to determine the mystery and prove the innocence of your Godfather, now having experienced the rewards of victory, your training was almost complete. Soon I would be able to take a more active role in your training, teaching you magics no one ever heard of._

_The fourth year was the year that I knew Voldemort would return thanks to your warning through the prophecy. It was also the year where I knew you had to grow up, and fast, since I saw that you forgot the prophecy and didn't bother studying harder yourself, soon after telling me. I knew what had to be done and I arranged for the Tournament. Watching Cedric Diggory die was the first part to you completing your training. Watching Sirius Black die was the end."_

_Harry had stood there shocked, before he turned and left the room without a word. The only place he could think of to go where there were no students was the Great Hall. Upon entering, his Occlumency Shields finally collapsed, and his magic was expanded from his body with a 'whoosh'._

_It was actually because of the damage he had done to the wards resulting from this incident that Voldemort had been able to take Hogwarts in the first place later on while Harry was searching for his horcruxes. Harry never told anyone how far Dumbledore's manipulations went, and he never forgave him._

_**END FLASHBACK!!**_

Now, looking at Tom Riddle, Harry understood what Dumbledore felt like. He realised that whenever Dumbledore saw Voldemort, he saw this little kid here looking at him with that adorable face. Harry's argument was based around the mistakes Dumbledore had made. He was scared that should he raise Tom, and he still became Voldemort, Harry wouldn't be able to kill him, much like Dumbledore couldn't, and if that happened, well Voldemort would rise unchecked! He didn't know what to do.

Harry was quiet while he contemplated what he should do, but he couldn't come to a decision. He sat there, his arms around Tom Riddle, and after reassuring Tom he wasn't leaving any time soon, he stared off into space pondering and pondering.

Tom after watching the man who saved him stare off into space, snuggled into him and then copied him. Staring off into space and thinking about what it would be like to live with this man.

**A\N:**_ Okay, that was a long chapter. I didn't mean to cut it so short but the flashback is longer than I expected. Oh well, I'm still unsure if I should continue this or not so give me your opinions! Any mistakes pointed out will be duly noted! Happy Reading!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: **The Decision

Harry was startled out of his thoughts as he felt a rhythmic pattern begin in Tom's breathing. Looking down, Harry smiled as he saw Tom Riddle, Dark Lord of the coming Centry, snuggled into his side sleeping. He was so cute.

Tightening his grip around Tom, Harry realized that no matter how much he could argue against himself, he had already chosen to take him with him. He realized also that just by taking Tom away would not solve the problem. There were at least fifty or more kids inside that also went through the abuse this guy, Snotsworth, put them through. Casting a spell to ensure that Tom remained sleeping, Harry gently picked him up and carried him inside not bothering to turn invisible.

Looking around, he quickly found the office and made his way inside. The man in charge was sitting at his desk, the floor was littered with beer bottles and he had a half full bottle in his hand. His bloodshot eyes looked surprised when he saw Harry with Tom. After a minute he waved his hand at the floor.

"Jussh dump the little shittt 'ere." He slurred. "I'llll take care of 'im laterrr"

Harry's eyes flashed as he walked towards the desk. Concentrating for a second, he blurred his fingertips making sure he had no prints he could leave behind. Ignoring the disgusting execuse for a human, he reached for the phone and dialed three numbers.

999

"Hey!" the man said, sluggishly reaching for the phone to stop him.

Harry didn't let him say anything else, he easily entered his mind, and with a thought stopped the heart. The man died instantly and Harry turned invisible and backed into a corner to watch what would happen.

It didn't take long. Within minutes the sound of wheels screeching and a loud bell announced the arrival of the cops and ambulance. A man ran in and stopped short seeing Snotsworth keeled over his desk, his hand lying over the desk, and the phone dangling right under where it obviously fell from his hand.

"MEDIC!" the officer shrieked, and was answered immediately by running footsteps. Two men burst into the room, without breaking stride they ran to the man and quickly checked him over. Harry was impressed that they were able to take in the situation without stopping to look. These guys were pros and it didn't take long for them to declare Mr. Nathan Snotsworth dead from a heart attack, for obvious reasons.

Harry , his job done silently apparated away.

He reappeared in a bedroom, one that was decorated tastefully in green and silver. The bedroom had two connecting doors, one going to a bathroom similar in size and operation to the prefects bathroom in Hogwarts, and the other going to a walk in closet that was around half the size of the bedroom. The closet was loaded with clothes, everything from dress robes to casual as well as dueling. It even had a special selection for potions brewing.

The bedroom belonged to the famous Salazar Slytherin.

There was no entrance anywhere, as Slytherin had wanted to keep this bedroom a private and he was extremely paranoid. 

_If _someone made it into the Chamber of Secrets, and _if_ they managed to open the mouth of his statue, and then _if _they were able to get passed the basilisk, they still wouldn't be able to enter Slytherins personal rooms, which included a library, training room, and potions lab.

After laying Tom down on the bed, Harry frowned and closed his eyes concentrating for a second before suddenly his form shimmered and something, another form, _walked out of_ _him._

It was a clone. Dumbledore had taught him this spell, and was very useful if you could handle the strain. Most people couldn't especially as it was a catch 22, the more powerful you are, the more power you had to provide your clone, and thus the more power you had to have. It was a vicious never ending cycle that made it not very useful for battles. Well for anyone else but Harry of course.

It was that spell that Dumbledore used to create the clones that used the Cruciatus Curse on him. Dumbledore had given the clone all his power as he wouldn't need it, and that was the only way he was able to keep it going, keeping almost no power for himself. Harry of course was unexplainably diffrent.

The clone of Harry smiled at him and disappeared on his way to Muggle London to look into buying a house. That was, after of course he set up a false paper trail of Muggle parents and being Muggleborn wizard. He had to have _some_ sort of history after all.

Smiling down at Tom, Harry closed his eyes and entered meditation, something he tended to do in place of sleeping, because it always rested the mind and kept him refreshed without losing touch on your surroundings. Besides the last time he had slept, when he was fifteen, he had seen his godfather fall through the veil while staring horror-struck at him, a vision he could do without.

He was woken a few hours later by the feel of an approaching apparation and quickly cleared his head in time for him to see himself pop in with a smile on his face. (Confused?)

With a wink, his clone stepped into Harry and he felt a rush as his magic and the memories of the past few hours merged with his mind. He grinned as he learned that his clone was successful in buying a house in a muggle neighborhood near a good primary school where Tom could go for an education. After sorting everything out, he fell back into meditaion staying there until he was woken by Tom the next morining.

Tom Riddle woke up feeling confused as he felt he was in a bed much more comfortable then any bed he had ever been in before, he kept his eyes closed as he let his other senses try to figure out where he was, survival instincts he had learned from staying in the orphanage kicking in.

Close by, he heard the slow steady breathing of another person near him, relaxed possibly asleep. Realizing he wouldn't find anything else out without opening his eyes, he slowly cracked one eye open and quickly took in the decor of green and silver. He frowned as he still didn't recognize where he was.

Throwing caution to the wind, he opened his eyes all the way and looked around. When he saw the man sitting next to him his memories quickly came back, he barely had time to think before the man blinked and opened his eyes straightening up. When he saw Tom awake, he smiled at him and Tom, against his better judgement, relaxed.

"Hello Tom." Harry said softly. "Had a good sleep?"

Tom nodded shyly and opened his mouth before closing it and looking uncomfortable. Harry smiled at him.

"I'm sorry." He said kindly, "I've been a bit rude, you introduced yourself, whereas I have not. I'm Harry Evans. You can call me Harry."

A look of relief spread across Tom's face as he smiled at him. "Hello, Harry. Um... where are we?" he asked now looking around at the unfamiliar place.

"Far away from the orphanage, Tom. If you want you will never have to go back there."

Delight spread across Tom's face as he looked at Harry hopefully, "Really? Never go back?"

"Of course." Harry nodded smiling, "I have a nice house in London where we can live if you want. On the other hand, Mr. Snotsworth is no longer running the orphanage and the police are investigating the place to make sure child abuse doesnt happen anymore so if you want to go back thats okay as well."

Tom shook his head fervently. He couldn't care less who was running the place he hated the orphanage, but on the other hand, Harry's offer seemed too good to be true.

"Why would you do this for me." He asked, his tone demanding, he needed to know the truth.

Harry smiled sadly and a haunted look appeared in his eyes.

"I grew up with my Aunt and Uncle who had one son my age." He began, "My parents were killed when I was a baby, Tom, and I was dumped on their doorstep because no one wanted me. I grew up amongst their hate for me. My mother and aunt had a fight and never got over it, the hate for my mother transferred to me."

Tom's face became blank in an instant and his eyes grew cold. "I don't need your pity." He said harshly, his hopes plummeting in his chest. Harry was quick to shake his head.

"My whole life," he said softly not looking at Tom, "my whole life the one thing I wanted I could never have. My parents were extremely wealthy and I inherited everything. Many people were jealous because they thought I had everything, money, good looks, popularity."

Harry shook his head again, "The one thing I wanted most was to have a family Tom. I don't do this out of pity, I do this out of hope that maybe, _finally_, I could have the one thing I always wanted."

As he said the last words, he turned to face Tom, who was shocked that he could see tears in Harry's eyes. One thing was clear, Harry was telling the truth and Tom felt his hopes rise at the same time as his guilt as he realised he jumped to conclusions. Once more he was shy.

"I- I've always wanted Dad." He said softly, "Always wished that my Dad would show up to take me away from the orphanage, but he never did." He was quiet again for a minute before he finally spoke again, his voice wavering in uncertainty.

"W- will you be my Dad?" he asked lifting his face to look at Harry in the eyes, unmistakable hope and fear shining through his clear blue eyes.

Harry's answer was to sweep him up in a hug cling to him tightly. As Tom sat down in his new place on his new Dad's lap he asked innocently, "Was that a yes?"

**A/N:** _Okay Tom and Harry worked things out, next chapter they move in to their new house. Harry gives Tom back his snake friend and explains about magic. Tom goes to school and Harry gets a visit from some unmentionables – er- I mean unspeakables. PLEASE NOTIFY ME OF ANY MISTAKES!! Happy Reading!!_


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